


Let The Fire Breathe Me Back Into Life

by ObliqueOptimism



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Feral Dave, Gen, M/M, Not Beta Read, Unbury Your Gays, Unreliable Narrator
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-22
Updated: 2020-03-22
Packaged: 2021-02-23 00:24:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23269408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ObliqueOptimism/pseuds/ObliqueOptimism
Summary: Klaus doesn’t only meet Reginald when he dies. He'd thank God for that, but she had nothing to do with it.
Relationships: Dave/Klaus Hargreeves
Comments: 60
Kudos: 287





	Let The Fire Breathe Me Back Into Life

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mieczyhale](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mieczyhale/gifts).



> yo, thanks to rem, val, and penn. and mace, my friend, thanks to you too.

“What in God’s name took you so long?” Reginald asked, voice muffled through the warm towel wrapped around Klaus’s face. 

Klaus reached up and took the towel off, not actually wanting to deal with Reginald. He’d hoped Dave was in the cabin, not his dad pretending to be a barber. But this was par for the course in his life. His unlife? “Dad,” he greeted.

“I expected my son who can conjure the dead to have brought me forth days ago,” Reginald stated, walking around him, getting ready to administer a shave. 

“Oh. Yeah, well, you see,” Klaus started slowly. “It’s complicated. You know, I-- I tried. I--” He had to quickly close his mouth so that Reginald didn’t put shaving cream in it. He didn’t seem to care that Klaus was trying to explain himself. “--did, but--”

“You were poisoning yourself,” Reginald scolded.

“Well, what do you expect? You’d just died. I was beside myself with grief,” Klaus was obviously lying. Neither of them believed what Klaus just suggested as the truth.

“Don’t you dare try to use me as an excuse for your weakness,” Reginald replied. Which seemed fair to Klaus. While he never really thought of his addiction as a weakness, more of a coping strategy, trying to use Reginald’s death as the reason was something no one would believe.

But that didn’t mean that Reginald wasn’t the _cause_ of his coping strategy, “Oh, right, well, yeah, you had nothing to do with it. Locking me in a mausoleum with corpses when I was 13? No, you’re right, it’s irrelevant.” Reginald sighed, lifting the straight razor up to start shaving Klaus. Klaus tilted his head back out of reach, eyes wide, letting out a light scolding tone, “Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah. Careful, dad.” 

Reginald gave him a look, “Don’t worry. You’re already dead.”

Klaus took a second to mull that over. “Oh. Well, that’s a relief.” When his little shave and possible haircut was done he would have to go out and search for Dave, as he wasn’t in the cabin like he’d hoped. He’d find Dave again, nothing could stop him now.

“You children like to blame everything on me,” Reginald started shaving Klaus. The blade kissing his skin. He was idly surprised at the skill Reginald had at this. 

“Well, you were a sadistic prick. Not to mention the world’s worst father.”

“I just wanted you to live up to your potential,” Reginald said, as if that excused his methods. “You especially,” he added, gesturing with the razor. “You’re my greatest disappointment, Number Four.” 

“The fuck did you say?” a voice called from the doorway. A voice that Klaus knew well. He turned, hoping he wasn’t just hallucinating. That he really was here. 

_Dave._ The light from outside silhouetting him. He walked in and went right up them, he put a warm hand on Klaus’s shoulder while staring at Reginald. Voice low and threatening in a way that turned Klaus on faster than he’d usually admit, Dave said, _“The fuck did you say?”_

Reginald didn’t back down, razor still in his hand and close to Klaus’s face, he eyed Dave, “And who are you? One of Number Four’s addict friends?”

Klaus snorted, “Dad, he’s not an addict. Dave is my boyfriend.”

Dave then took his eyes off Reginald. Eyebrows raised, he gestured to Reginald, “This your dad?”

“Uh, yeah?” Klaus said, eyes flickering to Reginald and back to Dave.

“Noted,” Dave nodded before quickly punching Reginald in the face.

Reginald swore and stepped back from the force. Dropping the razor, his hand went up to his nose, monocle having fallen off his face. “I shouldn’t be surprised that Number Four has such a feral partner.”

“And I shouldn’t be surprised that you look like an inbred weasel and the world’s ugliest jackass decided to see if they could produce the most horrifying abomination known to man,” Dave said with a shrug. He then reached a hand out to pull Klaus up. Arms around his shoulders, he kissed Klaus’s temple, “Let’s get out of here, sunshine.”

“I am not done talking to my son,” Reginald said, stepping closer.

Dave glared, “I can, _and I will_ , punch you again. You’d make a perfect human punching bag, Reg. _Don’t you test me._ ”

“I will not be ignored,” Reginald said. 

“Uhh--” Klaus said but before he could finish his sentence Dave had let go of him and punched Reginald again. Klaus let out another giggle. He’d never thought that Dave would meet Reginald but this is better than anything he could’ve imagined. 

Reginald swayed for a second before falling over.

Klaus let out a squeak. 

Dave wrapped Klaus back up in his arms, his grasp gentle, “C’mon, sunshine. Let’s get out of here.”

“Not so fast.” They turned to see the little girl from before, standing over Reginald’s unconscious body. She was frowning at them.

“ _Ugh_ , what now?” Klaus turned to face her, Dave’s arms still wrapped around him. “You’re ruining a very sexy and romantic moment between us.”

She looked unimpressed, “You can’t be here anymore. It’s time to go back.”

“ _Rude._ I only just got here,” Klaus pouted.

“Too bad. It’s time for you to go.”

Klaus leaned further into Dave’s grasp, “No. I’m not ready.” He felt the pull of life tug at him, “No, no, no, no, _no_.” Dave’s arms tightened around him. He closed his eyes, wishing to stay, wanting to stay. He’d just found Dave again. 

He couldn’t lose him, not again. 

And then, as quick as he’d left it, he had come back, he knew because he heard the rave. He dared not open his eyes to find himself without Dave once more.

The music was pounding in his ears, his head suddenly hurt more, he was _breathing_. 

He wanted to break down and cry, don’t bother leaving the rave. Let the world burn, then maybe he could stay with Dave.

He could still feel Dave’s arms around him and as long as he kept his eyes closed he could imagine that they were real and there. As if they were standing together at the rave in the crowd and, like they’d been standing together at the barber shop.

“Well that was a trip,” Dave said, his breath tickling Klaus’s ear as he spoke.

Klaus’s eyes snapped open. He turned on the spot, his face pressing up against Dave’s neck. Letting out a needy whine he took a deep breath. _“Dave.”_ Klaus whispered, surprised at how warm and solid Dave felt. So unlike a ghost.

Dave chuckled, “Shit, sunshine. I think I’m alive.”

Klaus pulled back suddenly, Dave’s arms not letting him get too far. “Wait, wait, wait, _what?_ ”

Dave looked as stunned as Klaus was, “I’m alive? _Fuck_ , I’m alive.” 

“You better not be joking right now, David. Don’t you fucking dare,” Klaus reached out and put his hand to Dave’s neck, feeling for a pulse. His hand shook as he made contact. Dave tilted his head, letting Klaus have easier access to check.

He found a heartbeat. 

_He found a heartbeat._

“You’re alive! We’re alive!” Klaus leaned in and kissed Dave. He never thought he’d be able to do this again. To kiss, to be held, to be loved. 

When the kiss was over, Dave pulled back with a frown. “Wait, sunshine. You died? How did you die? Are you okay?” He looked Klaus up and down, clearly worried and looking for injuries.

Klaus gave half a shrug, “It’s fine. A guy pushed me, hit my head.”

Dave’s face hardened, _”A guy pushed you?”_

“It’s fine,” Klaus dismissed, pretending to be over it. If anything he should go find the guy and thank him. If he hadn’t pushed Klaus he wouldn’t be standing in Dave’s arms right then, right? Shouldn’t he thank the guy who killed him?

Dave captured Klaus’s face in his hand and locked eyes, “No sunshine. It’s not fine. _You died._ ” Klaus looked away but Dave shook his head and captured his gaze again, “No, listen. It’s not fine and it’s not okay but it would be okay if you felt sad about dying. You are allowed to be sad or mad over that. _You can have feelings about how people treat you._ ”

Klaus nodded slightly, Dave leaning in and kissing his temple again. He honestly didn’t want to think about how he had died, how God didn’t let him stay, didn’t like him. He just wanted to think about how he had Dave back. Dave was back and that was all that really mattered. “Worth it,” he whispered into Dave’s skin.

“What could be worth dying?”

“Got you back,” Klaus replied, before gesturing towards the door. “Let’s blow this joint.”

As they exited the rave, Klaus felt light headed when the cool night air hit his skin. He stumbled some, but Dave was there to catch him.

He would be there to catch him whenever he stumbled from then on, with warm hands and a gentle grip. Both of them brought back to life somehow, someway. Together. It was worth any price and he’d pay it again if he needed to.

Plus seeing Dave punch out Reginald like the red blooded American he was had been very sexy, and he’d been ready to jump his boyfriend right there in front of God as his witness.

**Author's Note:**

> obliqueoptimism @ tumblr


End file.
